Unconventional Christmas foods

Year after year, millions of people across the world enjoy a traditional Christmas feast on December 25. However there has been a new wave of cooking hopefuls which have strayed away from the general trend. Enter the unconventional Christmas dinner – some completely new takes on the traditional roast turkey. These creative dishes range from Turkish tagines to masala mince curries and the possibilities are truly endless. We’ve compiled a collection of just a few dishes that some people will be tucking into this year instead of a traditional turkey.

A Mexican themed feast

LatinoNewsToday

That’s right, swap the brussels for burritos and the stuffing for salsa because the traditional turkey has been replaced with a spicier and more flavoursome alternative. Bringing a Mexican influence to your Christmas meal provides more opportunity for food variety and the ability to cook smaller dishes such as tacos, burritos, enchiladas and chimichangas to ensure there’s something available for all palates.

Kentucky fried Christmas

RaisingAdelaide

You heard correctly, KFC on Christmas Day. It may sound peculiar but in Japan it is a major tradition that has been upheld for many years. It all began in the 70s when a marketing campaign took off across the country with the catchphrase ‘Christmas = Kentucky’. The idea stemmed from a group of tourists not being able to find a Christmas meal and opting for KFC instead.

Ham fondue with potato croquets

Whatculture

Another one from the 70s, this tradition originated as a result of putting processed cheese in fondue to save time. Primarily eaten in America, ham is cut into cubes and skewers combine both potato and pig with the result dipped into a pot of fondue. The ham in this recipe is conventionally canned due to the ease of preparation but fresh ham is a preferable alternative.

The Christmas cake

MakeDoOrMend

On the surface, there’s nothing unconventional about having a Christmas cake at Christmas, however in Japan people order their cakes many months in advance to eat on Christmas Eve. The cakes are often made up of sponge and laced with whipped cream and strawberries with the addition of popular Christmas decorations or anime characters to top it off. All cakes displayed after December 25 are usually marked as unwanted.